The invention relates to a method of preparing 3-alkoxy acrylonitriles by the reaction of a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic nitrile with carbon monoxide and metal alcoholates at elevated pressure and temperature, followed by alkylation with an organic halide.
In the state of the art, alpha-formyl alkali salts and alkaline earth salts can be prepared from the nitriles in accordance with DE-OS No. 2,753,322. In a separate reaction in accordance with DE-OS No. 2,912,345, these salts can form 3-alkoxy acrylonitriles. The performance of the two reactions one after the other with, as a rule, different solvents and adjuvants is difficult and results in losses of material.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to prepare 3-alkoxy acrylonitriles by a method that is simple to practice.